In nearly all parts of the electronic industry there is a constant striving toward developing smaller electronic communication devices. This development demands a continuous reduction in size for all components commonly utilised in the electronic communication devices.
For example, in the hearing aid industry, the advent of in-the-canal (ITC) type of hearing aids and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) type of hearing aids is only rendered possible because of constantly reductions in the size of the hearing aids. Many users or potential users find it cosmetically attractive to wear an aid that may be completely contained within the ear canal, since this renders the aid invisible, at least in a majority of everyday situations.
Furthermore, hearing aids of the ITC and CIC types provide acoustical benefits compared to a behind-the-ear (BTE) type of instrument. One benefit is improved directional hearing due to a major part of the outer ear being left unblocked by the ITC and CIC hearing aids, thereby preserving the natural directional properties of the outer ear.
A further example is the mobile phones, where the size of the mobile phones has been drastically reduced in recent years, even though they provide an increasing number of features.
Hearing aids as well as mobile phones and headsets are usually provided with one or several controlling means, such as push buttons, switches, etc., which may be located on a face part of the housing. The controlling means may be adapted to provide a number of functions, such as turning the electronic communication device or a part thereof, such as the microphone assembly, on/off, controlling a gain, changing between a number of predetermined programs, and, in the example of hearing aids, changing between a microphone signal and a telecoil signal, etc.
Further, many electronic communication devices are provided with connection means so as to facilitate data communication between an external programming system and a processor or memory device within the electronic communication device.
In a hearing aid for example, the size of utilised components, including the microphone, are constantly reduced so that the available area of faceplate is constantly reduced. Thereby, faceplate area occupied by the controlling and connection means of the hearing aid is an increasing problem for the further miniaturisation of ITC and CIC types of hearing aids.
As the user of the hearing aid must be able to operate the controlling means of the hearing aid this limits the possible reduction in physical dimensions of the hearing aid controlling means.
A number of different functions of the electronic communication devices may be implemented by the present microphone assembly, such as turning a battery supply on/off, adjusting a volume control or trimmer, selecting different states and/or pre-set programs of the electronic communication device, such as selecting between a microphone and a telecoil input signal in a hearing aid, etc., may be provided the present electronic communication device.